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Chapter 10
Dundridge drove back to Worford with no thought for the landscape. His encounter with Lady Maud had left him stu
He got back to the Handyman Arms to find Hoskins waiting for him in the lounge.
“Just thought I’d drop in to see how you were getting on.”
“Fine. Fine. Just fine,” said Dundridge.
“Got on all right with Leakham?”
The warm glow in Dundridge cooled. “I can’t say I liked his attitude,” he said. “He seems determined to go ahead with the Gorge route. He has evidently developed a quite irrational hatred for Lady Maud. I must say I find his attitude inexplicable. She seems a perfectly charming woman to me.”
Hoskins stared at him incredulously. “She does?”
“Delightful,” said Dundridge, the warm glow returning gently.
“Delightful?”
“Charming,” said Dundridge dreamily.
“Good God,” said Hoskins unable to contain his astonishment any longer. The notion that anyone could find Lady Maud charming and delightful was quite beyond him. He looked at Dundridge with a new interest. “She’s a bit large, don’t you think?” he suggested.
“Comely,” said Dundridge benevolently. “Just comely.”
Hoskins shuddered and changed the subject. “About this tu
“How did you hear about that?”
“News travels fast in these parts.”
“It must,” said Dundridge, “I only mentioned it this morning.”
“You’re not seriously proposing to recommend the construction of a tu
“I don’t see why not,” said Dundridge, “it seems a sensible compromise.”
“A bloody expensive one,” said Hoskins, “it would cost millions and take years to put through.”
“At least it would avoid another riot. I came up here to try to find a solution that would be acceptable to all parties. It seems to me that a tu
“Yes, but…” Hoskins began but Dundridge had risen and with an airy remark about the need for vision had gone up to his room. Hoskins went back to the Regional Pla
Nor was Blott. He had had a relatively phone-free day in the kitchen garden. There had been Dundridge’s call in the morning but for the most part he had been left in peace. At half past four he had heard Sir Giles call Hoskins and tell him about the tu
“He can’t be,” Sir Giles snarled. “It’s an outrageous idea. A gross waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Blott shook his head. The tu
“You try telling him that,” said Hoskins.
“What about Leakham?” Sir Giles asked. “He’s not going to buy it, is he?”
“I wouldn’t like to say. Depends what sort of weight this fellow Dundridge carries in London. The Ministry may bring pressure to bear on Leakham.”
There was a silence while Sir Giles considered this. In the greenhouse Blott wrestled with the intricacies of the English language. Why should Lord Leakham buy the tu
“I’ve got another bit of news for you,” Hoskins said finally. “He’s keen on your missus.”
There was a strangled sound from Sir Giles. “He’s what?” he shouted.
“He has taken a fancy to Maud,” Hoskins told him. “He said he found her charming and delightful.”
“Charming and delightful?” said Sir Giles. “Maud?”
“And comely.”
“Good God. No wonder she’s looking like the cat that’s swallowed the canary,” said Sir Giles.
“I just thought you ought to know,” said Hoskins. “It might give us some sort of lever.”
“Kinky?”
“Could be,” said Hoskins.
“Meet me at the Club at nine,” said Sir Giles, suddenly making up his mind. “This needs thinking about.” He rang off.
In the greenhouse Blott stared lividly into the geraniums. If Sir Giles had been surprised, Blott’s reaction was stronger still. The sudden discovery that he was in love with Lady Maud had coloured his day. The thought of Dundridge sharing his feelings for her infuriated him. Sir Giles he discounted. It was quite clear that Lady Maud despised her husband and from what she had said Blott had gathered that there was another woman in London. Dundridge was another matter. Blott left the greenhouse, tidied up and went home.
Home for Blott was the Lodge. The architect of the arch had managed to combine monumentality with utility and at one time the Lodge had housed several families of estate workers in rather cramped and insanitary conditions. Blott had the place to himself and found it quite adequate. The arch had its little inconveniences; the windows were extremely small and hidden among the decorations on the exterior; there was only one door so that to get from one side of the arch to the other one had to climb the staircase to the top and then cross over, but Blott had made himself very comfortable in a large room that spa